Herstory

The Fernie Women's Centre has been actively involved in the Elk Valley since we opened in 1979. We are proud to have contributed to our communities in the following projects:

The Fernie Women’s Centre set up the community’s first non-profit daycare centre called Dandy Lion Daycare.

We also set up the first safehomes network in the Elk Valley run by volunteers. This was a precursor to the Elkford Women’s Task Force Safehomes program, which currently hosts the program for women and children leaving abusive situations.
In early 1992 we organized and hosted (with input from a regional steering committee) the Duluth conference on family violence.

We organized and facilitated the “Healthy Communities” workshop (*one of thirteen in the Province) which formed the basis for the current government recommendations for a more community based Health Care system.

In 1998 we developed an 11 unit Second Stage Housing Program (Chrysalis House) for the Elk Valley, we also set up the Elk Valley Family Society, which now operates the housing.

We created “A Simplified Guide to Gender Based Analysis – A Workbook for Creating Equitable Results”.

We have worked for 6 years with the MLA and Municipal politicians to get a public transit system.

We helped develop the City of Fernie’s Official Community Plan.

We are founding members of the Affordable Housing Partnership working to develop an affordable, accessible senior’s housing complex.

We offer food security and clothing/household goods exchange programs.

We are very involved in Community Development and have set up the Columbia Basin Family Resource Society.